USS Valley Forge
May 26, (I think) 1951
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| Puget Sound and Mount Rainier, 1940-1960, Charles R. Laidlaw, State Library Photograph Collection, 1851-1990, Washington State Archives, Digital Archives,http://www.digitalarchives.wa.gov, June 4, 2015. |
Hello Norma,
How's the kid? Fine, I hope and this leaves me splendid. (I don't know what the word means, either.)
I'm glad you think my [hand]writing has improved. I really appreciate you saying that. It is almost the best compliment you could have paid me.
I'm sitting out in a gun-tub on the star-board side of the ship writing this. There are six small caliber anti-aircraft guns mounted in this tub. They are vicious looking things, but also they look protecting. Out in front of me is the aircraft carrier, "Bunker Hill." Right now it is in moth balls, but not for long I don't think.
And above Puget Sound I can see beautiful, wooded hills rising in the distance. I could go on, but you must be bored by now and besides I've almost given up on the idea of being a writer. HA. All joking aside, this is pretty country and I'll tell you about it when I get home.
You mentioned your girl friend's husband being in Korea. You can tell her that you know a guy who will be there pretty soon. We will probably shove off the last of July.
And you want to know if I'm in love with Dot H______. I don't know myself for sure. And for "gosh sake" keep what I say under your hat. The girl I referred to in another letter as being the only one I ever cared about was Phyllis M______. I know you remember her. I still had memories of her when I came in the navy. I said I didn't ever love her, but I did. I might as well admit it. But not anymore. I saw her when I was home and we talked for a while and all the love I ever had for that woman is gone. To put it bluntly, "I wouldn't give her hay if she was a cow in a concrete pasture."
But getting back to the subject. There is no one I respect more than Dorothy. I would like to see her the happiest woman in the world and that's more than I could give her. Dot deserves a better man than I can hope be and anything she asked of me, I would do my best to do for her. But now is no time for me to worry about things like that.
I've got four years to put in this outfit, then maybe I'll have time for gold bands and the like.
I still would like to know who told you. I don't think it was Willie G___ or Norma or Charlene R______. I think it was Dorothy herself.
If I'm wrong, please correct me.
I've been out with lots of girls in my life and cared nothing for any of them but Phyllis and Dot.
And now Phyllis is out and it's hard to explain how I feel about her. I guess you would call it love turned to hate, and it's not a very nice feeling either.
Ah, well, enough of that stuff. I've got to sign off anyway.
So, until next time, answer soon.
Your admiral,
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